(A) Bingo games may be conducted in the city only by organizations exempted from the payment of the bank and corporation tax by California Revenue and Taxation Code § 23701d and by mobile home park associations and senior citizens organizations, provided that the proceeds of the games are used only for charitable purposes.
(B) It is a misdemeanor for any person to receive or pay a profit, wage or salary from any bingo game authorized by Section 19 of Article IV of the State Constitution.
(C) A violation of division (B) above shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000, which fine shall be deposited in the general fund of the city. A violation of any provision of this section, other than division (B) above, is a misdemeanor.
(D) The city may bring an action to enjoin a violation of this section.
(E) No minors shall be allowed to participate in any bingo game.
(F) An organization authorized to conduct bingo games, pursuant to division (A) above, shall conduct a bingo game only on property owned or leased by it, and which property is used by the organization for an office or for performance of the purposes for which the organization is organized. Nothing in this division shall be construed to require that the property owned or leased by the organization be used or leased exclusively by the organization.
(G) All bingo games shall be open to the public, not just to the members of the authorized organization.
(H) A bingo game shall be operated and staffed only by members of the authorized organization which organized it. The members shall not receive a profit, wage or salary from any bingo game. Only the organization authorized to conduct a bingo game shall operate the game, or participate in the promotion, supervision or any other phase of the game.
(I) No individual corporation, partnership or other legal entity, except the organization authorized to conduct a bingo game shall hold a financial interest in the conduct of the bingo game.
(J) With respect to organizations exempt from payment of the bank and corporation tax by California Revenue and Taxation Code § 23701d, all profits derived from a bingo game shall be kept in a special fund or account and shall not be commingled with any other fund or account. The profits shall be used only for charitable purposes. With respect to other organizations authorized to conduct bingo games pursuant to this section, all proceeds derived from a bingo game shall be kept in a special fund or account and shall not be commingled with any other fund or account. The proceed shall be used only for charitable purposes, except as follows:
(1) The proceeds may be used for prizes; and/or
(2) A portion of the proceeds, not to exceed 10% of the proceeds after the deduction for prizes or $500 per month, whichever is less, may be used for rental of property, overhead and administrative expenses.
(K) The city may impose a license fee, not to exceed the actual cost of issuing the permit, for each license issued.
(L) No person shall be allowed to participate in a bingo game unless the person is physically present at the time and place in which the bingo game is being conducted.
(M) The total value of prizes awarded during the conduct of any bingo games shall not exceed the state limit for each separate game which is held.
(N) For the purpose of this section, the following definition shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BINGO. A game of chance in which prizes are awarded on the basis of designated numbers or symbols on a card which conform to numbers or symbols selected at random.
(O) No alcoholic beverages shall be served, consumed or possessed in any area where bingo is being played. Area is any room, or portion of a building, where bingo players are physically present and playing bingo.
(P) A licensed sponsoring organization is authorized to conduct one bingo session per week, on the day set forth in the license. A bingo session is a series of bingo games played between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 a.m. on the authorized day.
(`61 Code, § 4A.1) (Ord. 579, passed 9-21-1976; Am. Ord. 590, passed 10-4-1977; Am. Ord. 595, passed 11-29-1977; Am. Ord. 934, passed 6-18-2002; Am. Ord. 1077, passed 10-3-2023)